Island



(No Model.)

G. W. PRENTIGE.

BUTTON 0B, STUD. No. 374,626. Q Patented Dec. 13, 1887.

A n ,c /v/M/f/DM' 157 UNITED rSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. PRENTICE,`OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE vISLAND.

- BUTTON 0R s-Tun.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,626, dated December13, 1887.

Application filed October 2Q, 1887. Serial No. 253.050. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE W. PRENTICE, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LacingStuds or Buttons; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the ac companying drawings, and to the lettersand figures of reference marked thereon, `which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to lacing studs or but` tons adapted to be rigidlyaffixed to shoes,&c. and serving, in conjunction with a cord, as a meansfor securing shoes to the wearer. Usually, heretofore fasteners of thisclass have been formed wholly of metal, the same being subsequentlycolored by japanning or other suitable process. An objection to the useof such metallic fasteners or lacing-studs is that the coloring orenamel is soon worn off in use, thereby exposing a bright metallicsurface, which, obviously, is undesirable.

The object of my improvement is to produce a lacing-stud having ametallic shank with attaching-prongs and a front or top portion ofleather or other suitable compressible and somewhat porous materialadapted to absorb coloring-matter.

To this end it consists of a metallic tabular shank portion, having thepart'thereof which bears against the fabric in use expandedtransversely, so as to increase the area of contact, and terminating ina series of attaching-prongs arranged about the circumference of saidexpanded portion or table and at right angles therewith. The neck orshank proper is made concave circumferentially to readily receive acord, and is furnished with a series of prongs at its upper end whichpass into or through a blank of leather, leatherette, papier-mache, orother suitable material or substance.

In the annexed sheet of drawings, illustrating my improved lacing'stud,Figure l represents a perspective view of the same complete ready forattachment and use. Fig. Il is a similar View showing the lacing-studsecured to a fabric. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof takenthrough the center. Fig. 3' is a perspective View of the metallicportion of the lacing-stud detached. Fig. 4 is a central sectional viewthereof. Fig. 5 isa plan view; and Fig. 6 is asectional viewsimilar toFig. 4, but showing the shank provided with two attaching-prongs only.

Referring again to the drawings, a indicates the metallic portion of thelacing-stud, the same consisting of the concavetubular neck or shank a',having points or prongs extending from its upper side. The lower side ofthe neck a is extended laterally to formthe base or tablet, from whichin turn project the downwardly extending attaching prongs n, as clearlyshown in Figs. 3, 4,' &.c., the said metallic portion a being formedfrom a single" piece of metal. 1 A mannerI of making the same is asfollows: A seamless tube of the proper size is cut offV to the desiredlength. The two ends of the piece are then submitted t0 a suitablecutting or milling machine which cuts away a portion of the metal,thereby producing a series of penetrating spurs or prongs, z' and n. Thelower series of spurs, n, together with the contiguous metal of thetubular portion, are then swaged or expanded to form a retaining base ortable, t, the tubular shank at the same time (or before or after, asdesired) being shaped by a suitable tool to the concave form a'. Thenumber of prongs may be two or more.

b indicates the head portion of the laeingstud, the same being cut fromleather, paper, or other material adapted to be compressed and shaped.By reason of the employment of such material I am enabled to mold orshape the blanks b into a variety of forms and designs. The blanks,moreover, are susceptible of being thoroughly and permanentlylcolored,owing to the slightly-porous nature of the material which absorbs thecoloring-matter. It is obvious that metal cannot be practically workedor substituted for leather; neither can it be colored so as to withstandwear or use as compared with leather. y

I n securing the parts together the blanks b are retained in a suitableholder and the prongs are forced into them. If necessary or desirable,the ends of the prongs may be bent and clinched into the surface of theblanks, as shown in Fig. 2, 86e. After the parts a and b are securedtogether the head portion b may be fnallysubmitted to a machine whichgives to it the finished shape A, the lacing stud or button now beingready for use.

Fig. 'l'l- Shows the n'ished article attached to a fabric, f, the prongsn passing through said fabric, and clinched thereunder. At the same timethe table t forms a comparatively-A broad surface or area on theopposite side of the fabric, thereby adapting the stud A to Withstandgreater strains when the lacingcord is connected with it when in use.

In another application ofeven date with this I have shown and claimed animproved manner of making the shanks from` a metallic blank.

The completed article A maybe conveniently used as a but-ton inconnection with a button-hole for securing garments, &c., the tubularneck portion readily fitting the usual eye or enlarged end of thebutton-hole.

I claim as my invention- 1. The .lacing stud or button hereinbeforedescribed, consisting of a metallic tubular shank portion provided witha series of upper and lower prongs, as i and a, and a head por tion, b,of leather or other suitable absorbent material, secured to the metallicshank by said upper series of prongs.

2. The lacing stud or button hereinbefore described, having a metallictubular shank secured to a leather head portion,and having the lowerportion of said shank provided with attaehi iig-prongs bent to form anenlarged base or table, as t, substantially as set forth.

3. rlhe `lacing stud or button A, hereinbefore described, consisting ofthe metallic tubular shank a, having a concave neck, a', a tableportion, t, and attaching-prongs n, extending therefrom, and a head'ortop, b, of leather or other suitable absorbent material, secured to ytheupper portion of said shank, substantially GEORGE W. PRENTICE,

.Wi tnesses:

F. A. SMITH, Jr., CHARLES GREENE.

